Automatic acetylene generator



June 5, 1928.

Filed July 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented June 5, 1928 uN-ireo srres? OFFICE Barman nonsny, OF'WJICI-IIEDA, Kansas, AssmNon-rornnmelanin, BnAss minumcmunnvc: oommnyyor CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A conronnrrronon rumors,

hUrronAmIc nc mYLENE'iGnNE'nAToR.

Application filed; July 26,

My invention is concernedwith certain new and useful improvementsinfautoinatic acetylene generators, of thetype shown in my application,Serial No; 525,566, filed December 2 91, 1,921, and is designed toproduce a. structure that shall be somewhat simplilied. without in anywaysacri'ficing its capa; bilities and. accuracyof operation; To thisend, it comprises certain'new'and useful combinations of elements,which'will'be described, in, detail and particularly pointed out in theannexedv claims.

To illustrate my invention, IfanneX hereto twov sheets of drawings inwihch the same reference characters are used to desi nate identicalparts in all thefigures, of which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus; f

Fig. 2 isa central. vertical'sectional View through the carbide hopper,but on a larger scale; f

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section, through the pressureregulator; andi Fig. 415 an enlarged ti thro g h vibrator and the adjacent portion ofthe mechanism. v s

In carrying out my-inventi'on in its preferred form, the water tank 10is substantially constructed, preferabl-y with the up 39 per portion inthegshape of the frustum of a cone, to give the desired stability, andthe top thereof terminates fin the outwardly and horizontally extendingflange'll, which cooperates with a. similar flange 12 formed on thebottom of the preferably cylindrically shaped hopper casing 13,, securedthereto by the screw bolts 14,80 that the hopper canbe readilyremovedlwh'en desired. I; preferably interpose between these flanges 11'and 12, a flange 15 forming the outer edge of the baffle 16, which is asheet metal annulus preferably in the form. ofan inverted truncatedcone, and which, serves to prevent the possibility of anywater splashingup to the carbide valve 1nechanism during the operation ortransportation of the device. The bottom of the carbide holder is formedby the inverted truncated conical portion 17, which has the opening 18at the bottom thereof through which the carbide escapes in the manner tobe hereinafter described. This hopper bottom 17 will, of course, besecured in the casing 13 any' desired manner. I Secured in a verticalside of the casing 13 is he i926. Seria11f1o.124,87,8.

the top of" the casing 13,'thro'ugh which the carbide is passed infilling the hopper, is closed in anyfsuitable mannergjasby the mechanismindicated at 25, and"itwill: be

notedthatwhen the screw bolts 14 are re moved, the hopper casing 13 andall-the-connected parts may be removed without in any Way interferingwith their connections,

so that the parts are readily accessible for adjustment and repair. Thegas after passing through the purifying chamber 22' is carriedoitto thetorch orother consuming unit throughaflexible pipe 26 attached-to anipple on the top of the purifying chamher, 22. I The filler valve 27may be of any desired construction, as well as the drain valve 28, andthe customary sludge" stirring apparatus is provided with the handle 29.

The pressure regulator 19, seen in section on an enlarged scale in Fig.3, consists of the twohalves 30" and 31 having the peripheral flangesbetween which are clamped the flexi ble d-ia'phragrns 32, by the screwbolts 33 which secure-"the twohalves together. The diaphragms 32 aremade rig-id at their centersby the pair of discs-34 secured on the twosides thereof by-the nuts '35 adjusted on the threaded end of the rod 36which extends through the apertured boss 37 and through the short pipe38'threadedat one end in the boss 37 and at the other endin the casing13 to make a gas tight joint. A

helically coiled expanding spring 39 is in terposed between the adjacentdisc 34 and the annular abutment 40 formed in the body 31 so as to tendto holdthe diaphragm pressed outward-1y. The other end of the rod 36 isprovided with the fork 41 which is connected by a pivot pin withthelever 42 which is fulcrumedby a nut and bolt 43 between. the pair ofbars 44 which are secured at their ends by nuts and bolts to the" lugs45 and 46 which project toward each other from the inner face of thecasing 13 and from the outer face of the hopper bottom 17.

The lower end of the lever'42 is turned sub-- stantially atright-angles, as shown, and has pivotally mounted thereon the mushroomvalve 47 which is shaped to cooperate with the aperture 18 in the bottomof the hopper and to close it completely under some conditions, or to beheld a slight distance away from it under others, as will be hereinafterdescribed. The valve 47 has a lug 48 formed on the under side thereof inwhich is screwed one end of the link 49, which is shaped, as best seenin Fig. 4, and has its other end extendingthrough the short tube 50threaded into the wall of the casing 13 and having its other endthreaded in the T 51, the opposite end of which is closed the nut 52.Threaded hr the upper openlng of the T 51 is the 4' short tube 53threaded into the bottom of the vibrator casing 54 which consists of acup having the tubular portion 55 formed integral therewith andextending upward toward the'top, as shown, so as to form a continuation,as it were, of the tube 53. A filling cup 56 threaded in the side of thevibrator. casing 54 and having its upper end closedby the screw 57 formsa means of filling the vibrator cup to the level indicated,

so that therbottom of the inverted cup or bell 58 will always beimmersed in the water.

This bell 58 is secured by nuts or otherwise, as shown, to the upper endof the rod 59 eX- tending down through the part 55 and the tube 53toconnect with the link 49, preferably by having a loop on the bottomthereof through which the threaded end of the link 49 passes and has thenut 60 screwed thereon to secure the bottom of the rod 59 to the link49..

In operation, it will be understood that the gas passing from the tank10 through the pipe 50, T 51, pipe 53, is interrupted by the bell 58until the pressure of the gas in the inside of the bell is sufficient tolift it up farenough so that the gas confined therein can suddenlyescape beneath the bottom of the bell, allowing the bell to dropsuddenly. This sudden downward movement of the bell is communicated bythe rod 59 to the link 49, and serves to joggle or vibrate the valve 47with the result that the fine carbide which is held between the edges ofthe aperture 18 and the top of the valve 47 is allowed to fall off ofthe valve and into the water in the generator. It will of course beunderstood that the amount thus discharged at each vibration of the bell58 will depend upon theadjustme'nt of the valve 47, which adjustment, ofcourse, will be regulated according to the pressure of the gas which itis desired to secure. It will also be understood that while the amountof the discharge at each operation of the bell remains substantially thesame, the rate of discharge is controlled by the frequency with whichthe bell 58 is vibrated, and this, of course, will be controlled by therate of consumption of the gas generated.

- Returning to pressure regulator 19, the

outer half 30 has the internally threaded boss 61 into which is threadedthe tube62 having secured in the outer end thereof the tubular end 63of'the fork 64, which has the pair. of ears .65 in which is fulcrumedthe handle 66, which is guided in its movement by the other side 67 ofthe fork. This handle has pivoted thereto the thrust rod 68 whichextends through the tubular end 63 of the fork 64 and through the tube62 to a point where it contacts, under ordinary adjustments, with theadjacent endof the rod 36. The tube 63 of the fork 64'has' secured onits inner end the abutment ring 69, which has a shoulder 70 adapted tocooperate with the adjacent end of the heavy helically coiledcontractile spring71 having its pther end cooperating with the adjacentdisc 34, and 1 preferably provide a second helically coiledfe'xpandingspring within the spring 71, the spring 72 being 'longenthan the spring71, and always in operation, whereas the spring 71 is not brought intoplay until the fork 64 is screwed into nearly its limit. r

In the operation of my device, the fork 64 is, when the apparatus isshut downor to be transported, screwed out to the position shown in Fig.3, where the spring 71 is not in action and the spring 72 is'so slightlycompressed that the spring 39 opposed to it holds the diaphragnrforcedoutward to a position in which the rod 36 has swung the lever 42 untilthe valve 47 is in contact with the aperture 18, thus closing the bottomof the carbide hopper and preventing any generation of the gas. When theapparatus is to be put in operation, it, of course, being understoodthat the tank is filled with water to the proper level, the handle 66 isswung back and forth a few times so that the rod 68 will shove the rod36 inward to substantially its limit of movement, each inward movementremoving the valve 47 from the aperture 18 a sufficient amount to allowa small amount of the carbide to be discharged, and a few strokes of thehandle'66 is sufficient to produce some pressure, which will, of course,be indicated by the gage 73 connected to the casing 13 below the hopperbottom 17. The fork 64 is now screwed'in by turning it, convenientlyusing the'handle 66 to give additionalleverage, until the contact of theend ofthe' rod 68 with the adjacent end of the rod 36 is sufficient tothrust the rod 36 in to a pointwhere the valve 47 is the suflicientdistance from the aperture 18 to cause the proper amount of operatingwith the spring 39 will serve to force the diaphragm 32 outward until]the valve 47 is brought to theright distance from the aperture 18 tosecure the desired pressure; It will also be understood that during thenormaloperation of the apparatus, the lever 66is adjusted so that theend: of the rod- 68 does not engage the rod-36, and consequently-thepressure of the generated gas and the spring 39 is opposed onlyinvention, claimed generically in my afore-,

said application N 0. 525,566, filed December 29, 1921, I do not hereinclaim any portion of said generic invention, but only the specificfeatures not found or disclosed in the aforesaid application N 0.525,566.

-What I claim as new and desire to secure,

by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a liquidholder having a circular opening in the top tl1ereof,'of a cylindricaldry chemical holder casing adapted to be seated on said opening andsecured to the holder, an inverted truncated conical shell secured inthe casing to form a bottom thereof with a central discharge opening,and means for automatically con trolling the feed of the chemicalsecured to and carried by said casing, said means consisting of a valveto cooperate with the central discharge opening, pressure controlledmeans connected to the valve to control its position relative to thedischarge opening, and a. vibrator also connected to the valve andoperated by the passage of the gas from the apparatus to vibrate saidvalve and I thereby control the feed of the chemical.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a liquidholder, of a dry chemical holder, a valve between said holders fordischarging a dry chemical gradually into the liquid holder, a pressureregulator connected with said valve to control the extent of its openingand the consequent rate or feed of the chemical, a diaphragm in saidregulator, a spring cooperating with said diaphragm to control itsposition, means for adjusting the tension of the spring, a rod carriedby the adjusting means and movable into contact with the diaphragm tocontrol its position, and means for moving the rod to initially startthe feed independently of the automatic regulation.

. 8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination ofaliquid'holder, of a dry chemical holder, a valve between said holderstent. of its opening and the consequent rate of feed: ofv the chemical,a diaphragm in. said regulator, aspring cooperating with .said

' diaphragm to control its position, means for ad usting the tension ofthe spring, arod carried by the adjusting; means and movable into andout of contact with the diaphragm, and a levertpivot'ed on said-meansand having said rod pivoted thereto so as to constitute the load of thelever when it is used to operate the feed independently of the automaticregulation.

fl. In an apparatus of the class described, a pressure regulatorconsisting of a shell composed of two halves, a diaphragm secured at itsedges between said halves, an operating rod secured to the center of thediaphragm and extending-through and out of one of said halves, anabutment threaded into the center of the other half, a helically coiledexpanding spring interposed between said abutment and the center of thediaphragm, a rod sliding through said abutment and having its inner endadapted to cooperate with thecenter ofthe diaphragm, and means to slidesaid rod in said abutment so that it may be moved entirely out ofengagement with the diaphragm or used to vibrate the diaphragm tooperate the feedindependv ently of the automatic regulation.

. 5. In an apparatus of the class described, a pressure regulatorconsisting of a shell composed of two halves, a diaphragm secured at itsedges between said halves, an

operating rod secured to the center of the diaphragm and extendingthrough and out of one of said halves, an abutment threaded. into thecenter of the other half, a helically coiled expanding spring interposedbetween said abutment and the center of the diaphragm, a rod slidingthrough said abutment and; having its inner end adapted to cooperatewith the center of the diaphragm,

and a lever pivoted on the outer end of said abutment and having saidrod pivoted thereto so .as to constitute the load of the lever.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a liquidholder, ofa 'dry chemicalholder, a valve between saidholdersfordischarging the dry chemical gradually intothe liquid holder,a pressure regulator connected with said valve to control the extent ofits opening and the consequent rate of feedof the chemical, a rodextending 'from the pressure regulator through the side of the drychemical holderv toward said valve, a lever extending parallel to theconical bottom of the holder and fulcrumed between said bottom and theside through which the rod extends, saidlever having the rod pivoted tothe power arm thereof and the valve to the load arm, and means forvibrating the valve as the generated gas is used.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a liquidholder, of a dry chemical holder, a valve between said holders tordischarging the dry chemical grad- 'uall'y into the liquid holder, apressure regulator connected with said valve to control. the extent ofits opening and the consequent rate of feed of the chemical, a vibratorchamber containing a liquid and a bell therein so that the gas consumedhasto escape in bubbles from beneath the edges of the bell, a verticalrod extending downward from the bell, a T in which the rod terminates, aconnection from the T to the side of the dry chemical holder, ahorizontal link connected at its outer endto the vertical rod in the T,and at its other end to the valve so that the movements of the bellvibrates the valve.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this'25th day of June,1926.

PARMER DORSEY.

